Canyon Laker takes tennis skills to Oregon college

BY Dawn Rankins

Morgan Wagoner, a 17-year-old senior at Temescal Canyon High School and lifelong resident of Canyon Lake, is set to graduate in just a few short months with a better-than-perfect 4.1 GPA.

Morgan isn’t just a fabulous student, she’s an elite tennis player for the Titans who will be heading off to college to not just study psychology at Pacific University Oregon, but play on the school’s tennis team as well.

Despite being recruited and signed to play tennis at Pacific University, there are no athletic scholarships given at the Division III level. Morgan will receive other scholarships to help pay for her education there, including a merit scholarship she has already been awarded. She will also be applying for other scholarships.

“I am happy that I worked so hard at school and tennis,” Morgan said. “Taking challenging classes helped me appreciate what I’ve accomplished. I don’t think if I didn’t put the time in and work hard at getting good grades and practicing my tennis, I wouldn’t have been able to play tennis in college.”

The quest to play at the collegiate level has been a long-time coming.

“I started playing tennis when I was just four years old, but I stopped,” Morgan said. “I started playing again when I was 13 and I haven’t stopped since. During the pandemic, I was able to play and practice every day. I took advantage of the time the pandemic gave me to improve my tennis skills.”

Aside from tennis, Morgan is an excellent student. She excels in English and is in advance classes. She plans on majoring in psychology.

“I took a psychology class my junior year and I really enjoyed it,” she said. “I want to study the mind and how it works. I want to understand how people’s minds work. Why do we as humans behave the way we do?”

Morgan wants to study the mental health and disorders of those of all ages from kids to senior citizens. She is hoping to graduate with a Psychology Degree and open her own clinic one day, she said.

Morgan has two younger siblings, a brother who is 14 and a sister who is 11 and she said they are all very different from each other.

She does have advice for her brother and sister as well as her younger friends.

“Stay true to yourself,” Morgan said. “Don’t join clubs, sports or anything else just because your friends are doing it. Find what you enjoy and do it. Your friends change through the years, and so do your likes and dislikes. Follow your passion. Work hard and go for your dreams.”

She has learned to manage school, homework, sports and other extracurricular activities by asking questions and not falling behind.

“I try to get some of my homework done during school hours,” Morgan said. “I try to use my time wisely. For me, my practices are usually done between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m., so that gives me time to get home, eat dinner and finish up any homework I have.”

Morgan made the varsity tennis team her sophomore year, and she attributes that to the hard work and dedication she put into her academics and practicing as much as she could.

“Her dad and I are very proud of Morgan’s hard work and dedication towards her academic and tennis success,” Morgan’s mother Christina said. “We know the future holds exciting and wonderful opportunities for her and we can’t wait to celebrate her accomplishments along the way.”

Her tennis coach, Canyon Lake’s Bobby Kielty, couldn’t be prouder of his star.

“Morgan has been a big part of our high school team winning three league championships and being the 1st team All League this year as a senior,” Bobby said. “Morgan was also one of our captains this year. She has been a part of the Canyon Lake Junior Tennis program and has played on teams and has won big matches.”

Bobby said Morgan has earned everything she has accomplished.

“She is an extremely hard worker and deserves the opportunity to play in college,” he said. “She has always been one of the most energetic players on the team and has been such a pleasure to coach over the years. I’m so happy for her to get this opportunity to keep playing a sport she loves to play.”